Seeking truth and due responsibility for the 228 Massacre has been the long-time goal for the 228 Massacre victims and their families. It is also the pursuit of the 228 Memorial Foundation since my assumption as the foundation chairman. After the 87th board meeting on September 2003, which approved the establishment of a “228 Massacre Truth Research Task Force,” a 7-member name-list was nominated by Administrator Lee Wang-Tai. The list included academic board members Chang Yan-Hsian, Huang Hsiu-Cheng, Hsueh Hua-Yuan and Chen Yi-Shen; representative of the victims and their families Jhong Yi-Ren and Lee Rong-Chang; and Administrator Lee Wang-Tai himself. Task force members then jointly suggested board member Chang Yan-Hsian to serve as the team’s convener. In a bid to avoid overlap with that of the 228 Massacre Research Report issued by the Executive Yuan on 1992, Administrator Lee proposed during the 88th board meeting to have the task force’s research report be named: Research Report on Responsibility For The 228 Massacre. Its editorial orientations included: 1) clarifying decision and implementations undertook by the central and local governments during the 228 Massacre; 2) probing relevant historical, political and legal responsibilities, and 3) analyzing roles played by key participants in the 228 Massacre.

The outline of the research project was drafted by board member Huang Hsiu-Cheng and was finalized after rounds of discussion by members of the task force. In a bid to strengthen the editors’ force members of prominent historical and legal Responsibility For The 228 Massacre academics such as Lee Hsiao-Feng, Chen Tsui-Lien, Ho I-Lin, Chen Tze-Lung, and Huang Mao-Rong were invited to take part in the project as well. Since the launch of the task force, one or two meetings had been convened monthly. Given that many were busy with their daytime jobs, the meetings oftentimes took place in the evenings. I personally am in awe of the effort and hard-work put forth by each of the task force members whom-----in the hope to complete the research report with preciseness and a more convincing conclusion-----painstakingly took part in discussions and researches, even when it meant sacrificing their own break time. During the discussion process, timely participation and first-hand information contributed by the 228 Massacre victims and their families has also allowed a more completed discourse of the subject matter and enabled the content to closely reflect what truly took place then during the 228 Massacre.

Probing truth and clarifying due responsibility are the must in smoothing the scars caused by the 228 Massacre. They also serve as the directions to strive for in resolving mistrust and conflict among the ethnic groups. Choosing to forget, or relaying the 228 Massacre with smattering knowledge, do not help the people face the 228 Massacre rationally with sincere, let alone allow people to transcend the past and achieve the eventual goal of ethnic harmony and co-existence.

Hereby it is my sincere hope that the goals can be accomplished via the publication of this research report.
(The speech was delivered by Chairman Chen Chin-Huang at the new book presentation of Research Report on Responsibility For 228 Massacre)